Why can X-rays look worse in the middle of corrective care?

Sometimes the body has to appear to get worse on its way to getting better. This patient's interim X-rays after six months showed a worsening of certain curves, while her sleep and Quality of Life had improved. After three more months of care her films showed improvement over both her interim films and her original films.

Can a chiropractor help with headaches and arm pain?

This patient came in with headaches, neck and back pain, and pain radiating into her arms and hands. Over nine months of subluxation-based corrective care her headaches resolved, as did the radiating pain into her arms and hands. Subluxation in the neck can interfere with the nerves that supply the arms and hands.

Can sitting hunched over at work affect the spine?

Hours of seated, repetitive work in a flexed posture place ongoing stress on the spine. This patient works in the service industry and spends many hours hunched over, and her films showed subluxation in both her neck and her low back.

What is maintenance chiropractic care?

Maintenance care is periodic subluxation care after a corrective plan, aimed at keeping the stability that correction produced. After nine months of corrective care, this patient is graduating to a maintenance level of care as she continues to show subluxation stability and resolution.

How long does corrective chiropractic care take?

It depends on the spine and how it responds. This patient completed a six-month corrective plan and then a shorter three-month plan, and her follow up films showed improvement over her original films.

Cervical and Lumbar Subluxation When Interim X-Rays Look Worse

How She Came In

In this month’s SPINAL CORRECTION SPOTLIGHT, we are reviewing the comparison x-rays of a 31-year-old female, who has just completed a 2nd corrective care plan. She completed a 6-month plan and based on the interim x-rays, decided to complete another, shorter, 3-month care plan. She originally came to our office seeking relief from headaches, neck and back pain, and radiating pain into her arms and hands. She works in the service industry, and was referred to our office by one of our long-time practice members. She endures many hours of a seated, repetitive motion stress, hunched over in a flexed state.

Clinical Findings — February 2024 Spinal Correction Spotlight

Patient: 31-year-old female, service industry

Presenting complaints: Headaches, neck and back pain, and radiating pain into her arms and hands

Work stress: Many hours seated with repetitive motion, hunched over in a flexed state

Referral: One of our long-time practice members

X-ray type: AP cervical and AP lumbar

Interim X-ray: After a six-month plan: a worsening of certain curves, with relief and improved sleep

Follow up X-ray: After three more months: improvement over her interim films and her original films

Outcome: Headaches and radiating arm and hand pain resolved; graduating to maintenance care

Cervical AP — Interim & Follow Up

Interim AP cervical X-ray after a six-month corrective plan, Rochet Family Chiropractic Royal Palm Beach

Interim — After 6 Months

Follow up AP cervical X-ray after three more months of corrective care, Rochet Family Chiropractic Royal Palm Beach

Follow Up — After 3 More Months

Lumbar AP — Interim & Follow Up

Interim AP lumbar X-ray after a six-month corrective plan, Rochet Family Chiropractic Royal Palm Beach

Interim — After 6 Months

Follow up AP lumbar X-ray after three more months of corrective care, Rochet Family Chiropractic Royal Palm Beach

Follow Up — After 3 More Months

What the Follow Up Films Showed: Cervical and Lumbar Subluxation

The images (on the left) show the condition of her spine after 6 months of corrective care, and represented a worsening of certain curves, despite her experiencing relief and improved QOL factors including sleep. The images on the right represent her spinal condition after 3 additional months of corrective spinal care. These follow up films show a return and an improvement over not just her interim films, but also her original films. More importantly, she has been able to work with little to no discomfort. Her headaches have resolved, as well as the radiating pain into her arms and hands.

When X-Rays Show a “Worsening” Spinal Alignment

I am showcasing this client because sometimes the x-rays show a “worsening” spinal alignment. This is an interim state of healing. Sometimes the body has to appear to get worse, on its way to getting better. She has been diligent and committed to experiencing LIFE (home, work, etc) better, and has been able to achieve that with structural correction chiropractic care. She is now graduating to a maintenance level of care, as she continues to show subluxation stability and resolution.

Reminder: I am NOT the healer. I move the BONE; God does the HEALING. You are a self-healing organism, and when you are subluxation free, not only does YOUR spine heal, but YOUR body expresses life, the way YOU were created to do!

Have You Ever Had Your Spine Checked for Subluxation?

Dr. Romar Rochet provides subluxation-based chiropractic care in Royal Palm Beach, serving Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, and the greater West Palm Beach area. A full structural X-ray analysis is part of your initial new patient visit.

Have Your Spine Checked for Subluxation

Or call us at (561) 795-3156

Learn more about vertebral subluxation and the nervous system.